My new 6.5x.284 Norma, & first custom.

[dwhunts]

I just got it back from the gunsmith. I still have a paint job to do on the stock, but I'll do that after the barrel break-in.

It's a Savage 12BVSS, it started life as my 22-250 prairie dog gun. It's now a 6.5x.284 Norma with a 26" Shilen 8 twist ratchet rifle 4 groove, and a B&C medalist stock. I put my Burris 2.5 to 10x42mm Euro Diamond on it for the time being.

I've been dreaming of having a custom gun built since I was a kid. I'll be 40 this July, so I figured it was time. I may get a different scope, I don't know... This was planned from the outset to be my 700 yard gun, so the Burris may be sufficient. I've got a .300 Weatherby for the really long stuff.

 

[blipelt]

Great rifle congrats, everyone deserves a custom.

Brent

 

[cornstalker]

Sweet gun. Congrats on the first custom.

 

[freebird63]

very nice, you have exactly what I want. I have a 300RUM for the long work and would love to have one for my field hunting. Thank you for sharing pics. Let us know how she shoots.

 

[Too Tall Rosenwald]

Good looking rifle. Looks like a few Whitetail there too. Don't see any Mule deer in there...

 

[dwhunts]

Good looking rifle. Looks like a few Whitetail there too. Don't see any Mule deer in there...

No, no mule deer yet. We have a few where I live, but that's just it (a few). I've had my opportunities at mule deer, but it's going to have to be an exceptional buck for me to take one out of our meager herd. I wish more people felt the same around here, we might have more of them. We have the habitat, but it's filled with whitetail.

 

[Too Tall Rosenwald]

I've heard that a Whitetail will push the Mule Deer out of an area. I know they are aggressive.

 

[dwhunts]

Yeah, I think SE Colorado is having that problem right now. Where I live and hunt in NW Oklahoma is similar to SE Colorado. The whitetail should be staying in the bottoms, but they dominate all habitats. I guess that's just natural selection. I just hope the old mulie can find a strong hold. I consider myself a deer hunter, and I would like that to include mule deer. I don't have any desire to hunt much other than whitetail and mule deer. I know that sounds crazy, especially to someone who lives where you do. I can honestly say if I were given the opportunity to hunt elk, I would trade the hunt for a good mule deer hunt if I could. How close are you to Great Falls? My gunner in Afghanistan, was from Great Falls. We spent much time in the LP/OP talking about hunting.

 

[Too Tall Rosenwald]

280 miles to the West and North. There are some good areas around Great Falls, with all kinds of game.